Madison
Her town was her sanctuary, but today, she couldn’t get away fast enough. As soon as the sun popped up, she was dressed and out the door. The need to flee was overwhelming. She had agreed to dinner but just being in the same zip code as Roman was too close. Damn it, their dinner had been too intimate. She’d had to leave. As much as her head refused to give in, her heart and body ached for his touch. She had to be strong. He was all wrong for her.
Madison rested her head on the car seat. As much as she tried to fight it, the one place she wanted to be was in his arms, but she’d done the right thing.
Raising her head, she ran her fingers through her messy hair. She’d left in such a hurry she hadn’t bothered to even comb it. What did it matter?
Who cares what people think?
Stephanie knew Roman was Mafioso and made her opinions on the matter very clear. Madison concentrated on the fact that Valentina owned Firenza and that’s who she needed to work with, not her sexy brother. The man made her weak in the knees and her mother’s absence made the whole situation with the show fall on her shoulders.
Madison backed her car out of the garage and headed north. The destination didn’t matter. She just needed to go somewhere, do something. Putting miles between her and the man who never left her mind, gave her a chance to think. As she left town, the calm countryside numbed the tension flowing through her veins.
An hour later, Madison headed back to Genoa after clearing her head. A billboard for Valentine’s Day caught her attention and she rolled her eyes. She had a love-hate relationship with Cupid’s holiday. It was great for the business, as many people got engaged or married on February fourteenth. The loneliness of being single on that particular day of the year was like a knife to the heart.
She would never settle for someone who didn’t make her heart sing when she heard their voice, and being with someone just so she had a companion in life was also not an option. Madison wanted more, and that more came with passion and love. Maybe she’d been too fussy all these years. Even if she lived the rest of her life alone, it was better to be by herself than to be with the wrong person. She wasn’t going to settle for less than a soul mate. When the word soul mate came to mind, only one person’s face came into view. Roman’s.
Was she just like her mother? Connie never married. She never dated either. Her suspicious behavior never made sense. In essence, her mother was a stranger in many ways. She laughed out loud, thinking that maybe her mother was visiting a man all these years. They’d never been close but it wasn’t too late to mend any bonds that had unraveled over the years. The calming effects of having taken a drive had dissipated as even more confusing thoughts bounced around in her head.
Her fist hit the steering wheel and the horn accidentally beeped. The cows in a nearby field raised their heads before returning to chewing the hay at their feet. She said a mental apology for disturbing their mid-morning meal, but she’d had more than she could take. Her foot hit the brake and she pulled her car to the side of the road, confused and dejected.
Roman had swept her off her feet the first time they met months ago and all while failing to mention he was from an organized crime family. The declaration betrayed her trust, but would it have made a difference?
Choosing not to be with him was torture. Her head said she didn’t want to be with him but her heart said otherwise. It still irked her that he was trying to manipulate her back into his arms. The manipulation stung. Madison was her own woman and she planned to keep it that way.
She dug in her purse and pulled her cell phone out. To hell with Roman. Flicking through the list of contacts, she called Valentina.
It rang and rang. Madison’s finger hovered over the disconnect button, but Valentina finally picked it up.
“Hello.” Her voice was raspy and low.
“Valentina?” Damn, she’d forgotten Valentina was sick. “I’m so sorry to bother you. I can call you another time when you’re feeling up to it.”
“No, that’s all right.” She cleared her voice before adding, “I’m just tired. I think the worst has passed.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I missed seeing you last night.”
“You too. I heard my brother cooked.”
“It was delicious, but then you probably already know that.”
“Not really. He has me do the cooking. I think he likes you,” she teased. Did he really like her? Business, Madison chanted in her head. Let’s keep the conversation about business. That was not what she needed to hear now and not why she called.
Silence stretched over the phone before Madison spoke up.
“I think he was just trying to make amends for the con he pulled on me.” It sounded weak even to her.
“What con? Don’t sell my brother short. When he wants something, he won’t let anyone stand in his way and I’m pretty sure he has his sights set on you.”
Madison shook her head and tried to focus. “I called to talk about the fashion show.”
“Roman told me. I’m sorry. Bad luck for them and good luck for us.” Excitement rang in her croaky voice. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“I think it was more than bad luck,” Madison muttered. There was no need to place blame or complain. The fact remained. She had a venue and a beautiful one at that.
“What?” Valentina had a coughing fit. “I guess I’m still not over this thing yet.”
“When you are feeling better, can we meet to go over the particulars? I’m anxious to make sure everything is in order.”
“Didn’t you discuss it with Romeo last night?”
“Umm. Not really. I felt you were the one to have the conversation with.”
“Is it okay if I call you in a few days? Your event is booked and on the calendar, so don’t worry about that.” A whoosh of relief went through Madison.
“Call me when you’re feeling better and we can plan. I will call and change the location with the caterers and florist.”
“Great. I am glad your bridal event will be at Firenza. I love those types of affairs and I hope we will be hosting it every year.”
“Thank you. See you soon.”
Relief washed over Madison. It was done. The venue was set and she knew that Valentina wouldn’t let her down. She was a professional when it came to Firenza.
She ended the call and stuffed her cell in her purse. A loud moo sounded outside her window and Madison noticed she’d acquired a crowd. Outside her car, a line of curious Holsteins had wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. With a quick wave to the bovines, she put her car in drive and returned to the road. She was heading back to town with a lighter heart and a plan of action. She would do things her own way and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone would be able to do about it.
Roman
Roman gave the punching bag a jab with both fists. He followed that with a fierce kick that left it swinging and rattling on its chain. If he’d dealt that kind of punishment on a human being, they’d be dead or on the way to the emergency room right now. He’d barely slept last night and after tossing and turning for way too long, he finally hit the gym with a vengeance. Roman had planned on spending Sunday in bed and not alone. Instead, he was easing his tensions in the gym.
He’d been too long without a woman and even worse, the only woman he wanted didn’t want him. Tossing his boxing gloves to the side, he hit the treadmill. Roman had no idea how many miles he would need to run to rid Madison from his mind but it would never be enough. The whole time he was in Chicago, she was never far from his thoughts. He’d stayed away on purpose but it didn’t help. The distance just made him miss her more.
“There you are, boss.” Arlo entered the room, a mug in one hand and a pastry in the other.
“Where else would I be?” he snapped. Roman chugged on a bottle of water and wiped his forehead with a nearby towel. Sweat ran down his back.
“Sorry about last night.” Arlo leaned against the wall and studied the mug in his hand.
Last night was what he was trying to forget. At least Arlo had the decency to not look him in the eye.
“What the hell for? It wasn’t your fault she left.”
It was his. He thought he’d pulled out all the stops, but it wasn’t enough.
“I should have checked with you before I took her home.”
He threw the now wet towel onto a nearby bench. “It was her choice. I can’t make her stay if she doesn’t want to.”
Arlo halted the cup near his lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a woman not wanting to stay the night with you. I have to admit it did throw me for a minute when she asked to go home.”
“There will be other nights, I can promise you that.” He wasn’t done with Madison Miller.
“What’s on the schedule for today?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Love sick fool that he was, he’d planned on spending the day with Madison but things hadn’t worked out that way.
“The boys were talking about getting together later to watch the football game.” Arlo plopped the last bite of his pastry in his mouth and then wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
“Sounds good. I gave Therese the day off, so why don’t you order in and I’ll join you.”
“Will do, boss.” Arlo nodded and left the room.
Roman followed him out and headed for upstairs. Hopefully, a hot shower, and some time with the boys would erase a certain dark haired local from his mind, at least for a little bit.
The hot shower helped, but Madison was still on his mind. Drying off with a heated towel, he suddenly realized he had to go about things a different way. She was someone he couldn’t control, that was for sure. Maybe he’d have to let her think she was the one calling the shots.
He laughed at the thought. No, she’d come around. They always did.